According to the United Way of North Idaho, 41% of North Idaho households are walking a financial tightrope. These folks are not slackers. They are working hard but falling short of what they need to consistently cover the basic costs of living.
To help understand this growing issue, the Democratic Club welcomes Keri Cederquist. Keri is the Community Impact Director for the United Way of North Idaho. She will present information about a program for workers whose limited incomes make it difficult to meet their most basic needs.
The program is called United for ALICE. The acronym stands for (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed). These measures are a new way of defining and understanding the struggles of households that earn above the Federal Poverty Level, but not enough to manage even their most basic needs – housing, food, transportation, childcare, health care, and necessary technology.
Running short on funds forces cash-strapped households to make impossible choices, such as deciding between quality childcare or paying the rent, filling a prescription, or fixing the car. These short-term decisions have long-term consequences not only for ALICE, but for all of us.
Join us this Friday, at noon, online for a discussion about the challenges of the working poor and a new program focused on helping them achieve a new level of economic wellbeing.
